Anesthetic cable protector

ABSTRACT

A medical safety device for holding and protecting medical circuitry connected between a medical patient and medical equipment is provided. The device can include an outer shell with an exterior sidewall and an interior sidewall defining an open interior. The outer shell can include a door that can be opened to allow access to the interior of the shell. The outer shell can include at least one latch for selectively securing the door in a closed position. The exterior shell can include connecting components for connecting the device to a hospital or surgical bed frame. The interior of the outer shell can include a grooved section having one or more grooves. The grooves can be configured to hold and retain different types of medical circuitry, such as cords, wires, tubes and the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of prior U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/472,133, filed on Mar. 28, 2017, the entire contents of which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a protecting device forholding and protecting cables and circuits, and in particular, a devicefor protecting cables and circuits associated with anesthetic and othermedical equipment connected to patients.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Medical patients commonly need to be connected to one or more types ofmedical devices and equipment when placed in a hospital bed or duringsurgery. The medical devices and equipment is generally connected to thepatient via medical circuitry (e.g., cords, tubes, wires, and the like).For example, medical patients must often times be hooked up to IV lines,EKG, pulse oximetry, electrocardiogram, non-invasive and invasive bloodpressure, temperature cords, other monitoring wires or cables, andinspiratory and/or expiratory anesthesia tubing. In current practice,the medical circuitry (e.g., anesthesia tubing, medical cables, etc.)connected between the patient and the various medical devices andequipment are not protected or enclosed to reduce the incidence ofdamage and disconnection from the patient. This can result in themedical circuitry becoming easily tangled, kinked and/or disconnectedwith movement around the hospital or surgical bed and/or rotation of thebed itself, such as during a surgical procedure. Doctors, surgeons,nurses and other medical personnel also commonly stand on the same sideof the hospital or surgical bed in which the medical circuitry islocated further increasing the chance of an accidental disconnectionfrom the patient.

The accidental interference and/or disconnection with the medicalcircuitry can impose severe complications for the patient and surgicalprocedures. For example, extubation of the endotracheal tube can createissues of difficult laryngoscopy and can result in hypoxia, cardiacarrest and even death.

Accordingly, a need exists for a safety device that can secure medicalcircuitry connected to medical patients and reduce the likelihood ofaccidental interference with such medical circuitry while the patient isin a hospital bed or undergoing surgery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to a medical safety devicefor protecting medical circuitry connecting a patient to medical devicesand equipment. Medical circuitry can include inspiratory and expiratoryanesthesia tubing, EKG and pulse oximetry cords, temperature wires,blood pressure monitors, and any number of different types of medical ornon-medical circuitry, including cords, cables, wires, tubing, and thelike. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, themedical safety device can comprise an elongated hollow cylindrical tubehaving an exterior sidewall and an interior sidewall. The medical safetydevice can further include an opening defined through each end of thecylindrical tube to allow the medical circuitry to extend continuouslythrough the medical safety device. The medical safety device can furtherinclude a door provided on the cylindrical tube that can be selectivelyopened and closed to allow access to the interior of the cylindricaltube. The medical safety device can include at least one latch providedon the exterior sidewall that can be configured to selectively securethe door in a closed position. The medical safety device can include agrooved section extending along the interior sidewall, where the groovedsection includes a plurality of circuit grooves configured for holdingand securing one or more medical circuits within the cylindrical tube.The medical safety device can further include a securing component onthe exterior sidewall of the cylindrical tube that can be configured toselectively secure the medical safety device to an object, such as ahospital or surgical bed frame.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the medical safetydevice can include a first shell section and a second shell sectionslidably receivable within the first shell section. Collectively, thefirst and second shell sections can form the elongated hollowcylindrical tube. The second shell section can be configured to slideinto and out of the first shell section in order to allow the length ofthe medical safety device to be adjusted. In order to secure the firstand second shell sections together at a desired length, the first shellsection can include a fastener and the second shell section can includea plurality of spaced apart openings that can be aligned with thefastener, which can be inserted into the opening to secure the first andsecond shell sections together.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thegrooved section of the medical safety device can be configured as aremovable mold that can be removed from and inserted into the interiorof the cylindrical tube.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thegrooved section of the medical safety device can include a set ofprimary grooves and a set of secondary grooves, where the primarygrooves are larger than the secondary grooves.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments andthe accompanying drawing figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the specification andis to be read in conjunction therewith in which like reference numeralsare used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a medical safety device forholding medical circuitry connected between a patient and medicaldevices and equipment in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the medical safety device of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the medical safety device of FIG.1 illustrating the medical safety device in an open configuration inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the medical safety device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the medical safety device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a medical safety device holdingmedical circuitry that can be connected between a patient and medicaldevices and equipment in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a medical safety device in an openconfiguration to illustrate the location of grooves for holding medicalcircuitry within the interior of the medical safety device in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation view of the medical safety device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a medical safety device forholding medical circuitry connected between a patient and medicaldevices and equipment in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the medical safety device of FIG.9;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are front perspective views of a medical safety devicefor holding medical circuitry connected between a patient and medicaldevices and equipment and a grooved section mold for insertion into theinterior of the medical safety device in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a medical safety device forholding medical circuitry connected between a patient and medicaldevices and equipment in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged partial view of the grooves on the interior ofthe medical safety device shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 14 is an end elevation view of the medical safety device of FIG. 8illustrating medical circuitry located in each of the grooves defined inthe interior of the medical safety device in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingfigures, in which like reference numerals refer to like partsthroughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristicsof the present invention, proportional relationships of the elementshave not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

The following detailed description of the invention references specificembodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments areintended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Otherembodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. The present invention isdefined by the appended claims and the description is, therefore, not tobe taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

The present invention is directed toward a medical circuit protectingdevice 10 that can be used to protect and secure medical circuitingconnecting a medical patient to various types of medical equipment,devices, monitoring systems and treatments. For example, device 10 canbe used as a anesthesia safety protection device that holds and securesinspiratory and expiratory anesthesia tubing, along with othermonitoring or medical circuitry (e.g., EKG and pulse oximetry cords,temperature wires, blood pressure monitors, etc.), connected to apatient. It is also recognized that device 10 can be configured forholding any number of different types of medical or non-medicalcircuitry, including cords, cables, wires, tubing, and the like(referred to herein as “circuits”) connected between a patient andvarious medical monitoring and provisioning equipment. Device 10 alsocan be configured to secure the medical circuitry contained thereinagainst a hospital or surgical bed frame or other object to prevent thecircuits from becoming entangled or kinked and to prevent the accidentaldisconnection of the circuits from medical equipment or the patient.

For example, during surgical procedures, particularly robotic surgeries,medical circuitry connected between machines and equipment and a medicalpatient can easily become tangled and even disconnected during surgerydue to rotation of the surgical bed and/or maneuvering of variousequipment, surgeons and assistants. Device 10 can be utilized to keepthe medical circuitry secured closely to the surgical bed in order toprevent such entanglement and disconnection. In addition, medicalcircuitry connected to a patient can often hang down near the legs andfeet of doctors, surgeons, nurses, assistants, medical staff, guests,family members, or other persons positioned in close proximity to thepatient's bed. As a result, the medical circuitry is susceptible tobecoming caught in the legs and feet of such persons moving nearby thepatient bed resulting in the medical circuitry becoming disconnectedfrom the medical equipment or machines and the patient, which cancompromise the status of the patient. Device 10 can be used to keep themedical circuitry closely secured to the patient bed to prevent suchaccidents.

Turning to the figures, device 10 can comprise an outer shell 12 in theform of a cylindrical tube with a hollow interior that can receivevarious medical circuitry. Outer shell 12 can include an exteriorsidewall 14 and an interior sidewall 16 that can define the interiorportion of device 10. Extending through the ends of shell 12 can beopenings 18 that can enable the medical circuitry to extend through andbe contained within device 10 without interruption. Positioned withinthe interior portion of device 10 and on a portion of interior sidewall16 can be a grooved section 20 that can be configured with a pluralityof grooves suitable for receiving and holding medical circuitry ofvarious sizes and dimensions. According to one exemplary embodiment ofdevice 10, grooved section 20 is defined into interior sidewall 16 ofdevice 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). According to another exemplaryembodiment, grooved section 20 is configured as a mold that can beremovable from shell 12, as described in greater detail below (see FIGS.11A and 11B).

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shell 12can include a door 22 that can be moved between an open position (FIG.3) and a closed position (FIG. 4) in order to allow access to theinterior portion of device 10. According to one exemplary embodiment,door 22 can be configured as a pair of pivotally connected door panels24 that open in opposing directions about hinge lines in order toprovide access to the interior of device 10. It is also recognized thatin alternative embodiments, door 22 can alternatively be configured as asliding door, a removable door panel, or other suitable design forallowing selective access to the interior portion of device 10. To keepdoor 22 in a closed position and allow for selective access to theinterior portion of device 10, device 10 can include one or more latches26 provided on exterior sidewall 14 of shell 12. Each latch 26 can beconstructed as any suitable type of latch, clip, clamp, clasp, lock,fastener, or other suitable type of closure means. According to oneexemplary embodiment, latch 26 includes a first locking portion 26 ahingedly connected to one door panel 24 and a second receiving portion26 b provided on the other door panel 24 (see FIG. 4), where the firstlocking portion 26 a can be pressed and selectively locked onto thesecond receiving portion 26 b in order to secure door panels 24 in aclosed position with respect to exterior sidewall 14.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, device 10can include one or more securement means 28 configured to selectivelyand releasably attach device 10 to an object, such as but not limited toa surgical bed frame, a hospital bed frame, a patient chair, or a wheelchair. According to one exemplary embodiment, securement means 28 can beconfigured as a quick release clamp, such as those known in the hospitaland medical care industry, and designed to quickly and easily attachedto part of a hospital bed frame (see FIG. 2). According to anotherexemplary embodiment, securement means 28 can be configured as anelongated vertical bar or rod configured to be received by a lockingclamp located on a hospital bed frame as commonly known in the industry(see FIG. 10). It is also recognized that securement means 28 can beconfigured as any suitable type of lock, latch, clamp, clip or othersuitable type of locking components known in the art.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, outershell 12 can include a first shell section 30 and a second shell section32 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Second shell section 32 can be configured to beslidably receivable within first shell section 30 and can allow device10 to have a selectively adjustable length. For example, according toone exemplary embodiment, device 10 can have an adjustable lengthbetween 24 inches and 38 inches; however, it is recognized that device10 can just as suitably be configured with any number of other suitabledimensions. Both shell sections 30 and 32 can be formed together intoouter shell 12 by maintaining an overlapping region between the twoshell sections 30 and 32. In order to allow second shell section 32 tobe slidably received within first shell section 30, second shell section32 can be configured with an exterior diameter and slightly less thanthe interior diameter of first shell section 30. In addition, theinterior sidewalls 16 and grooved sections 20 of each shell section 30and 32 can be configured to allow exterior sidewall 14 of second shellsection 32 to slide under grooved section 20 of first shell section 30so that second shell section 32 is not obstructed by the shape of theinterior sidewall 16 of first shell section 30.

Device 10 can be configured with a shell section fastener 34 and one ormore fastener openings 36 in order to allow device 10 to be selectivelyadjusted to various lengths by adjusting the length of the overlappingregion between first shell section 30 and second shell section 32.According to one exemplary embodiment, first shell section 30 includesfastener 34, which can be any type of suitable fastener extendingthrough the sidewall of first shell section 30. Second shell section 32can include the one or more fastener openings 36 spaced a part along thelength of second shell section 32 and aligned with fastener 34 locatedon first shell section 30. Second shell section 32 can then be slid intofirst shell section 30 until fastener 34 on first shell section 30 ispositioned directly over the particular fastener opening 36 on secondshell section 32 desired by a user. Fastener 34 can then be pressedand/or locked into the selected fastener opening 36 to lock first andsecond shell sections 30 and 32 together at the selected length ofdevice 10. Fastener 34 can subsequently be lifted out of the selectedopening 36 and device 10 can be adjusted to a different length wherefastener 34 is reinserted into a different opening 36 at a new lengthdesired for device 10. According to one exemplary embodiment, fastener34 can be biased in a downward position such that unless an upward forceis applied to fastener 34, it remains depressed into a fastener opening36.

Turning now to FIGS. 1-8, device 10 according to one exemplaryembodiment will be described in greater detail. FIG. 1 shows a frontperspective view of device 10 with an outer shell 12 comprising a firstshell section 30 and a second shell section 32 connected together at aselected length by means of fastener 34 and fastener openings 36. Outershell 12 includes a door 22 comprising first and second door panels 24,where each door panel 24 can be connected to the remainder of the outershell 12 by a hinged connection. Door panels 24 are configured to openin opposing directions in order to allow access to the interior ofdevice 10. The door panels 24 are securable together by means of latches26 provided near each end of outer shell 12. As shown, both first shellsection 30 and second shell section 32 include a latch 26 to keep door22 fully closed along the length of device 10. As further shown in FIG.1, the interior sidewall 16 of shell 12 includes grooved section 20 witha plurality of grooves 40 which can be sized for generally receivingdifferent types of medical circuitry. According to the particularembodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, device 10 has a diameter of approximately5 inches and grooved section 20 contains two grooves 40 with diametersof approximately 0.5 inches and two grooves 40 with diameters ofapproximately 1.5 inches. However, it is recognized that device 10 canbe configured with any suitable diameter greater or less than fiveinches and a grooved section having more or less than four grooves anddiameters greater than or less than 0.5 and 1.5 inches.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of device 10 and illustrates the positioning ofsecurement means 28 configured as quick release clamps according to oneexemplary embodiment. As illustrated, each shell section 30 and 32 canhave a quick release clamp 28 attached to exterior sidewall 14 adjacentto the ends of outer shell 12. Positioning quick release clamps 28 nearthe ends of each shell section 30 and 32 can allow second shell section32 to more fully slide within first shell section 30; however, it isrecognized that quick release clamps 28 can be positioned anywhere alongthe length of each shell section 30 and 32 in various embodiments of thepresent invention. As also illustrated in FIG. 2, quick release clamps28 can be attached to exterior sidewall 14 near the lower portion ofouter shell 12 in order to allow device 10 to be secured to a hospitalbed frame or other object such that grooved section 20 will beorientated in a generally horizontal manner. This arrangement can assistin preventing the medical circuitry from falling out of the grooves 40located on the interior of device 10.

FIG. 3 shows device 10 with door 22 placed in an open position to allowaccess to the interior of device 10 in accordance with one exemplaryembodiment. As illustrated, both door panels 24 are pivoted along theirhinged connection in opposing directions to show the interior sidewall16 of device 10. As further illustrated, grooved section 20 can bepositioned along interior sidewall 16 such that a portion of groovedsection 20 is located along the lower portion of interior sidewall 16and a portion of grooved section 20 is located on the bottom door panel24. In order to allow the bottom door panel 24 to pivot in the openposition about its hinged connection, the hinged connection can extendthrough grooved section 20 along one of its grooves according to oneexemplary embodiment. It is also recognized, however, that groovedsection 20 can be positioned in any desired location of interiorsidewall 16 of outer shell 12 in various embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of device 10 once door 22 (and doorpanels 24) have been closed and secured together by latches 26. Asshown, first latch portion 26 a can be secured to second latch portion26 b in order to keep door 22 secured and maintain device 10 in itsclosed configuration.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of device 10 illustrating the locations offastener 34 and fastener openings 36 according to one exemplaryembodiment. As illustrated, fastener openings 36 can be spaced apartalong the length of second shell section 32 and generally aligned withthe position of fastener 34. As also illustrated in FIG. 5, fastener 34and the corresponding fastener openings 36 can be positioned on outershell 12 at location other than door 22 and away from door 22 so as tonot prevent or obstruct door 22 from opening along its hinged axisaccording to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows device 10 with medical circuitry 38 secured within theinterior of device 10 according to one exemplary embodiment. Asillustrated, medical circuitry 38 is positioned in grooved section 20 oninterior sidewall 16 of outer shell 12 and contained within the groovesprovided in grooved section 20. According to the particular embodimentshown in FIG. 6, medical circuitry can comprise an EKG cord 38 a, apulse oximetry cord 38 b, an inspiratory anesthesia tube 38 c and anexpiratory anesthesia tube 38 d. Each component of the medical circuitry38 a-38 d can be selectively positioned within one of the groovescomprising grooved section 20. In addition, each groove comprisinggrooved section 20 can be specifically sized and dimensioned accordingto the diameter of the specific medical circuitry 38 in certainembodiments of the present invention. For example, EKG cords 38 a andpulse oximetry cords 38 b generally have a diameter of approximately 0.5inches. As a result, the grooves in grooved section 20 designed to holdcords 38 a and 38 b can have a width of approximately 0.5 inches inorder to adequately hold and secure cords 38 a and 38 b. Similarly,inspiratory and expiratory tubes 38 c and 38 d generally have a diameterof approximately 1.5 inches. As a result, the grooves in grooved section20 corresponding to tubes 38 c and 38 d can have a width ofapproximately 1.5 inches in order to adequately hold and secure tubes 38c and 38 d.

FIG. 7 shows device 10 with door 22 in an open position to show interiorsidewall 16 of outer shell 12 and grooved section 20 according to anexemplary embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 7, grooved section 20 caninclude a plurality of grooves 40 extending along the length of device10 and interior sidewall 16 of outer shell 12. FIG. 7 illustratesgrooved section 20 with four individual grooves 40, which is shown ingreater detail in the enlarged schematic view illustrated in FIG. 13.Each groove 40 can be specifically sized and configured to hold aspecific type of medical circuitry 38 in certain embodiments of thepresent invention; however, in it is also recognized that grooves 40 canbe generally sized to accommodate several different types of medicalcircuitry in alternative embodiments. For example, FIG. 13 illustrates aschematic view of grooved section 20 according to one exemplaryembodiment where grooved section 20 includes a first groove 40 a havingapproximately a 0.5 inch width to accommodate an EKG cord 38 a, a secondgroove 40 b having approximately a 0.5 inch width to accommodate a pulseoximetry cord 38 b, a third groove 40 c having approximately a 1.5 inchwidth to accommodate an inspiratory anesthesia tube 38 c, and a fourthgroove 40 d having approximately a 1.5 inch width to accommodate anexpiratory anesthesia tube 38 d.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of device 10 according to one exemplaryembodiment. FIG. 8 best illustrates the positioning of grooved section20 along the interior sidewall 16 of outer shell 12. As shown, the lowerplane 42 of grooved section 20 can generally conform to the shape andcontour of interior sidewall 16 and outer shell 12. In addition, theupper plane 44 of grooved section 20 can extend generally horizontallyalong the width of device 10 and outer shell 12 so that medicalcircuitry 38 can be adequately secured within each groove 40 when device10 is in use. In alternative embodiments, the upper plane of groovedsection 20 can have a more arcuate configuration that more generallyconforms to the shape of interior sidewall 16 in order to reduce thethickness of grooved section 20. As also illustrated in FIG. 8 (and FIG.14), grooves 40 comprising grooved section 20 can have different widthsin order to accommodate different types of medical circuitry 38 withdifferent diameters. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8and 14, grooved section 20 includes two smaller grooves 40 a and 40 bsized to adequately hold EKG and pulse oximetry cords 38 a and 38 b andtwo larger grooves 40 c and 40 d sized to adequately hold inspiratoryand expiratory anesthesia tubing 38 c and 38 d. Grooved section 20 canalso include more or less grooves 40, each having the same or differingwidths to accommodate different types of medical circuitry in variousembodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show an alternative embodiment of the present inventionwhere device 10 includes securement means 28 configured as elongatedrods or bars connected to the rear portion of outer shell 12. Eachelongated rod 28 can be received by a clamp or other type of receivingcomponent attached to a hospital bed frame in order to be secured to thehospital bed. Such clamps/receiving components are commonly used in thehospital industry for securing various devices and equipment to standardhospital bed frames. As shown, elongated rods 28 can be attached toexterior sidewall 14 along a lower portion of outer shell 12. Accordingto the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, elongated rods 28 can beattached to exterior sidewall 14 near the ends of outer shell 12, oralternatively, elongated rods 28 can be positioned anywhere along thelength of outer shell 12 in alternative embodiments. Elongated rods 28can also be orientated in the general vertical direction with a slightlyangled configuration that can allow device 10 to be properly positionedon a hospital bed frame and allow grooved section 20 to be orientatedgenerally horizontally when device 10 is secured to the hospital bedframe.

According to one exemplary embodiment, elongated rods 28 do not extendabove the upper plan of device 10 in order to prevent the rods 28 fromaccidentally damaging surgical drapes or other items placed over device10 when it is attached to a bed frame. In addition, elongated rods 28can extend below the lower plane of device 10 in order to allow the rods28 to easily slide into the receiving components of the bed framewithout obstruction from the outer shell 12 of device 10.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, device 10 canbe utilized by sliding elongated rods 28 through the receivingcomponents attached to the surgical or hospital bed frame until device10 is positioned at the desired height relative to the hospital orsurgical bed. Once device 10 is at the desired height, the receivingcomponents can be tightened and device 10 can remain secured in place.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show an embodiment of device 10 where grooved section20 is configured as a removable mold that can be selectively positionedthe interior of outer shell 12. As shown in FIG. 11A, device 10 isconfigured as described above with an outer shell 12 (which can beconstructed from first and second shell sections 30 and 32) having anexterior sidewall 14 and an interior sidewall 16, a door 22 selectivelyopenable to allow access to the interior sidewall 16 and securementmeans 28 to secure device 10 to a hospital or surgical bed frame orother object. However, in the embodiment shown, grooved section 20 isnot defined into interior sidewall 16, but rather, grooved section 20 isconfigured as a separate mold that can be inserted into the interior ofdevice 10 and along interior sidewall 16, as shown in FIG. 11B.According to such an embodiment, grooved section 20 can include a lowerend 42 that generally conforms to the shape of interior sidewall 16 andan upper end 44 that contains one or more grooves 40 defined therein.Upper end 44 of grooved section 20 can include any suitable number ofgrooves 40 (such as grooves 40 a-40 d illustrated in FIG. 11B), each ofwhich can be dimensioned with a desired width to accommodate differentmedical circuitry.

FIG. 12 shows yet another alternative embodiment of device 10 thatincludes a reinforcing band 46 secured around exterior sidewall 14 ofouter shell 12 in order to provide greater rigidity and structuralintegrity to device 10. Reinforcing bands 46 can be positioned along theends of outer shell 12 and can comprise a thickened sidewall sectionthat strengthens the ends of device 10.

Device 10 can be constructed from any number of different desiredmaterials, including but not limited to stainless steel, metal, plastic,rubber, silicone, polymer-based materials or any combination thereof.For example, according to one embodiment, outer shell 12 can beconstructed from a stainless steel or other metal material in order toallow device 10 to be effectively cleaned and decontaminated for reuse,while removable grooved section 20 can be constructed from a polymer- orplastic-based material, which can be disposed of after use. Variousother constructions and usage of materials can also be suitably used invarious embodiments of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference toother features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and iswithin the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of theinvention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it isalso to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and notlimiting.

The constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings arepresented by way of example only and are not intended to limit theconcepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has beenshown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As isevident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the presentinvention are not limited by the particular details of the examplesillustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that othermodifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur tothose skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similarterms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of“optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes,modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the presentconstruction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the artafter considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. Allsuch changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applicationswhich do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention aredeemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device configured for protecting and retainingone or more medical circuits connected between a patient and medicalequipment, comprising: an elongated tube section, said elongated tubesection comprising: an exterior sidewall; an interior sidewall; a hollowinterior; openings on each end of said elongated tube section forallowing said one or more medical circuits to extend through said hollowinterior; a removable grooved mold generally conforming to a lowerportion of said hollow interior, said mold having a plurality of groovesdefined therein configured for holding at least one tube or cable fromsaid one or more medical circuits; wherein said elongated tube comprisesa first section and a second section slidably receivable within saidfirst section to enable the device to have a selectively adjustablelength; wherein said second section includes an exterior diameter lessthan an interior diameter of said first section for allowing said firstsection to slidably receive said second section; wherein said secondsection includes a plurality of fastener openings defined into saidexterior sidewall of said elongated tube and spaced apart along a lengthof said second section, said fastener openings configured for receivinga fastener provided on said first section to selectively secure saidfirst section to said second section at a desired overall length of thedevice; securing means for removably securing the device to an object,said securing means provided on said exterior sidewall; wherein saidsecuring means comprise a pair of elongate rods extending in a generallyperpendicular direction from an axis of said elongated tube; and a pairof reinforcement bands provided around said exterior sidewall on eachend of said elongated tube.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein saidelongated tube section is selectively adjustable in length.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said plurality of grooves include at leasttwo grooves of at least 1.5 inch diameter for holding inspiratory andexpiratory anesthetic circuit tubing.
 4. An anesthetic circuit retentiondevice, comprising: an elongated cylindrical tube having an interiorsidewall defining an interior portion of said device and an exteriorsidewall, said elongated cylindrical tube comprising a first section anda second section slidably receivable within said first section to enablesaid device to have a selectively adjustable length; a pair of openingslocated at each end of said elongated cylindrical tube for allowing oneor more medical circuits to extend through said device; at least onedoor provided on said elongated cylindrical tube for providing access tosaid interior portion of said device; a latch provided on said door,said latch configured for releasably securing said door in a closedposition; a plurality of grooves defined in said interior portion ofsaid device, said grooves configured to holding said one or more medicalcircuits within said device; a clamp attachment provided on a rearsection of said exterior sidewall of said elongated cylindrical tube,said clamp attachment configured to removably attach said device to amedical bed frame; wherein said second section includes an exteriordiameter less than an interior diameter of said first section forallowing said first section to slidably receive said second section;wherein said second section includes a plurality of fastener openingsdefined into said exterior sidewall of said elongated cylindrical tubeand spaced apart along a length of said second section, said fasteneropenings configured for receiving a fastener provided on said firstsection to selectively secure said first section to said second sectionat a desired overall length of said medical circuit protector device;securing means provided on said exterior sidewall, said securing meansconfigured for allowing said medical circuit protector device to beselectively secured to the medical bed frame; wherein said securingmeans comprise a pair of elongate rods extending in a generallyperpendicular direction from an axis of said elongated cylindrical tube;and a pair of reinforcement bands provided around said exterior sidewallon each end of said elongated cylindrical tube; wherein said device isconfigured for protecting and securing said one or more medical circuitswithin said device when said device is attached to a medical bed frameand said one or more medical circuits are connected between a patientand medical equipment.
 5. The anesthetic circuit retention device ofclaim 4, wherein said at least one door comprises a first door and asecond door which are selectively openable to allow access to aninterior of said elongated cylindrical tube.
 6. The anesthetic circuitretention device of claim 5, wherein said at least one latch isconfigured for securing said first door and said second door in a closedposition for substantially enclosed said exterior sidewall of saidelongated cylindrical tube.
 7. The anesthetic circuit retention deviceof claim 4, further comprising a removable circuit groove moldconfigured for being inserted into said elongated cylindrical tube andagainst said interior sidewall, said removable circuit groove moldcontaining said plurality of circuit grooves.
 8. The anesthetic circuitretention device of claim 7, wherein said plurality of circuit groovesinclude a pair of primary grooves and a pair of secondary grooves, saidprimary grooves having a diameter greater than a diameter of saidsecondary grooves.
 9. The anesthetic circuit retention device of claim8, wherein said pair of primary grooves are sized to receive aninspiratory anesthesia circuit tubing and an expiratory anesthesiacircuit tubing.
 10. The anesthetic circuit retention device of claim 4,wherein said plurality of grooves are located at a lower portion of saidelongated cylindrical tube.
 11. The anesthetic circuit retention deviceof claim 4, wherein said securing means are provided on a lower rearsection of said exterior sidewall of said elongated cylindrical tube.12. The anesthetic circuit retention device of claim 4, wherein saidsecuring means comprise a pair of clamps.
 13. The anesthetic circuitretention device of claim 12, wherein each clamp is positioned adjacentto an end of said elongated cylindrical tube.